As a University of Mississippi undergraduate, Libbie Kakales Patterson of Oxford, Mississippi, studied for a year at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, and as a law student, spent a summer term at Downing College in Cambridge, England.
A new endowment in her name now will provide resources to help other Ole Miss students pursue similar educational adventures.
Created with a $50,000 gift from her husband, Kevin Patterson, the Libbie Kakales Patterson Venture Endowment will provide funds for experiential learning for Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College students on the Oxford campus. Patterson surprised his wife with the gift at a reception attended by family and friends.
“What an awesome gift! Travel is such an amazing part of education,” she said. “Being a daughter of immigrants, travel was only an opportunity to visit family — nothing other than that, not for vacation or educational purposes. Then I came to Ole Miss and had these amazing opportunities to study abroad, a chance to learn differently.”
Her family immigrated from Greece to the U.S. in 1969 and soon began a search of a small college town to open a restaurant. Dino’s Pizza on the Square became a beloved part of the fabric of Oxford.
Libbie Patterson pursued an undergraduate from Ole Miss, majoring in English and minoring in art. While attendingUM’s School of Law, she interned with the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation she pursued a career in intellectual property, combining her love of the law and the arts by representing artists and entertainers. After moving to Nashville, she worked in Bridgestone/Firestone’s legal department and then became in-house counsel for ServiceMaster in Memphis.
When she and her husband had their two sons, she stepped away from her legal career, returned to Ole Miss for more art classes and became a portrait artist.
Kevin Patterson, who earned an undergraduate and a master’s degree from Ole Miss in accountancy, is a vice president with Indegene, which helps biopharmaceutical, emerging biotech and medical device companies understand market access for their products. The company has offices in Bangalore, India; Princeton, New Jersey; Atlanta and Kennesaw, Georgia; Oxford; and around the globe.
Kevin Patterson, a native of Nederland, Texas, came to Ole Miss to be part of the Honors Program, the forerunner of the Barksdale Honors College, and to play on the Ole Miss baseball team. Today, he’s active on the Honors College Leadership Council and the Honors College committee for Now & Ever: The Campaign for Ole Miss.
“When I got back involved in the program, it ignited a fire in me, and I really have enjoyed being a part of the Honors College and seeing how it’s growing,” he said. “What the team is doing there is amazing. Supporting the Honors College has become a passion of mine. It’s been a pleasure and privilege to be involved.
“The Honors College helps elevate Ole Miss academically and expand the university’s ability to draw students from different backgrounds,” Kevin Patterson said. “What’s important is that the Honors College is integrated into other campus programs. The students are participants and leaders on campus in all types of organizations; it’s a mutually nourishing environment as they raise the level of everyone with whom they come in contact.”
Ethel Scurlock, dean of the Honors College, expressed gratitude for the new venture endowment and Patterson’s engagement.
“Having resources for experiential learning is vital to our mission at the Honors College, and we appreciate this amazing gift from the Pattersons,” she said. “Travel provides a chance for our students to expand their cultural awareness, better understand diverse perspectives and customs, and boost confidence.
“Thanks to the Pattersons’ generosity, our students will grow exponentially through travel. We know that students who engage in experiential learning gain important professional skills that give them a competitive edge in their careers. As such, this gift will make a large impact on the personal and professional lives of our students. We also appreciate Kevin giving his time and vision through the Honors College board and campaign committee. This couple’s commitment is strengthening our ability to provide extraordinary opportunities for our exceptional students,” said Scurlock.
The Pattersons recognized the benefits of experiential learning for their son, Alex, a 2024 business graduate and Honors College student, who traveled abroad and studied at the University of Florence in Italy.
“There was nothing like walking through the middle of Florence or Venice and other places they had read about,” said Kevin Patterson. “That’s what we hope to provide students through this endowment. We bring them into Ole Miss to broaden their horizons and then we send them out into the horizons, so to speak.”
Libbie Patterson said she would like future recipients of Venture Endowment awards to know about her passion for the arts and travel.
“I’m so thrilled students will benefit from the opportunities this award will provide, and the fact that my name is attached to it is icing on the cake,” she said. “I got to get out and have study-abroad and travel opportunities, and now it’s their turn. I hope to meet every recipient at some point and hear about their hopes, dreams and pursuits in the arts and to learn from them.”
The Pattersons are also parents to another son, Michael, who is a sophomore business and art major at Ole Miss who also plans to study overseas as part of his college career. Alex Patterson is now pursuing an MBA on the Oxford campus and has just been accepted into dental school.
To make a gift to the Libbie Kakales Patterson Venture Endowment, send a check with the fund’s name written on the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or online here.
To learn more about supporting the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, contact Brett Barefoot, executive director of central development, at bmbarefo@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2711.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development